that a situation like
this exists. It is enough to say that seeing is believing. There were
many and are now mixed blooded people among the race.

I was well clothed. Our clothes were made in looms. Shoes were made on
the plantation. Distilleries were also located on the plantation. When
they told me I was free, I did not notice it. I did not realize it till
many years after when a man made a speech at Carthage, telling us we
were free.

I did not like the Yankees. We were afraid of them. We had to be
educated to love the Yankees, and to know that they freed us and were
our friends. I feel that Abraham Lincoln was a father to us. We consider
him thus because he freed us. The Freedmen's Bureau and carpet baggers
caused us to envy our masters and the white folks. The Ku Klux Klan,
when we pushed our rights, came in between us, and we did not know what
to do. The Ku Klux were after the carpet baggers and the Negroes who
followed them.

It was understood that white people were not to teach Negroes during
slavery, but many of the whites taught the Negroes. The children of the
white folks made us study. I could read and write when the war was up.
They made me study books, generally a blue-back spelling book as
punishment for mean things I done. My Missus, a young lady about 16
years old taught a Sunday School class of colored boys and girls. This
Sunday School was held at a different time of day from the white folks.
Sometimes old men and old women were in these classes. I remember once
they asked Uncle Ben Pearson who was meekest man, 'Moses' he replied.
'Who was the wisest man?' 'Soloman', 'Who was the strongest man?' was
then asked him. To this he said 'They say Bill Medlin is the strongest,
but Tom Shaw give him his hands full.' They were men of the community.
Medlin was white, Shaw was colored.

I do not like the way they have messed up our songs with classical
music. I like the songs, 'Roll Jordan Roll', 'Old Ship of Zion', 'Swing
Low Sweet Chariot'. Classical singers ruin them, though.

There was no use of our going to town of Saturday afternoon to buy our
rations, so we worked Saturday afternoons. When we got sick the doctors
treated us. Dr. J. D. Shaw, Dr. Bruce, and Dr. Turner. They were the
first doctors I ever heard any tell of. They treated both whites and
darkies on my master's plantation.

I married a Matthews, Anna Matthews, August 1881. We have one daughter.
Her name is Ella. She married George Cheatam